July 2018 - 24

First in Their Class - Update
The April issue featured a story about some of the ACBL's earliest Life Masters who are
still members today. We recently received news of another player who qualifies for that list:
Jim Jackson of Tryon NC.
Jackson, now 93, became Life Master No. 358 in 1951. He is a Diamond LM.
Chip Boyle, the secretary of Unit 171 where Jackson lives, wrote the following:
Jim's career as an exceptional player is well known throughout the Carolinas. Still playing
twice a week, he attends our local sectionals, winning open pairs and telling his opponents
that they played better than he did.
He grew up in Tryon, left for a time to serve with distinction in World War II, worked in his
family's business and then entered the seminary. He returned with his wife and their children
to take up permanent residence in Tryon in 1981 and has been a teaching fixture at the table
since.
Jim's infectious laugh, his congeniality and constant enthusiasm add much to the local
bridge scene. Jim devotes considerable time to coaching and playing with aspiring players.
He is always on the list of available substitutes and is happier to teach and play with a novice
than with the best our club has to offer. In past years, Jim volunteered his time at the Tryon
morning games, coaching new players after each hand, always with a smile and a positive approach. One of Jim's greatest attributes is his ability to play with virtually anyone and
get positive results. He would regularly travel to the New England Regional to play with and
against the best, playing in an unusual event - an individual contest with a different partner
every two boards - and he won that prestigious contest twice. How many of us would love to
have a partner like that?
Jim's bridge life is the dictionary definition of Zero Tolerance: friendly, complimentary,
ethical, trustworthy, competent, never critical and a pleasure to play with or against. He is a
true and faithful ambassador for our wonderful game. Just watching him play is a free course
in active ethics.

Jim Jackson, 1951

Jackson, 2018

Mountain of Masterpoints

Below is the data for masterpoints won by ACBL members in 2017:
137,176 members won 6,192,466.81 points at any level of play
15,091 members won 661,835.27 points at online clubs
54,897 members won 277,082.83 points at NAP games at clubs
12,367 members won 34,662.75 points at GNT games at clubs
133,452 members won 3,013,509.69 points at club games
73,187 members won 322,392.08 points at STaC games
58,670 members won 509,688.63 points at sectionals
50,986 members won 1,027,284.71 points at regionals
9,875 members won 128,201.44 points at regional events at NABCs
2,908 members won 41,074.30 points at NABC events (not NABC+)
3,114 members won 121,554.58 points at NABC+ events
1,981 members won points at online clubs only
60,213 members won points at face-to-face clubs only
74,982 members won points at sectionals or higher
53,598 members won points at regionals or higher
4,740 members won points at NABC events only
24 Bridge Bulletin July 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2018